1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to cushioned foot pads. More particularly, the invention concerns a foot pad for a sport board that increases foot stability and facilitates maneuvering.
2. Description of Related Art
Surfers and related sport board users are oftentimes confronted with difficult conditions such as choppy water, large waves, high winds and uneven terrain. In order to control one""s board, there must be an effective connection between the board and a user""s feet. In some board sports, bindings have been used to lock one""s feet to the board. However, bindings restrict foot movements that are needed to maintain a proper center of balance during board maneuvers. Unrestrictive means for foot control comprise wax or grit coatings on the top of a board. Other means are ribbed pads, tapered pads, and pads with foot retention cavities.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,523, a longitudinally extending V-shaped channel is used to provide a foot bearing means. However, the open channel provides only minimal leverage and is not effective when making sharp turns.
A wedge-shaped pad that extends laterally across a board is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,035. This device provides asymmetric foot leverage in one direction only. Therefore, it has only limited usefulness.
A pad that tapers gradually from a thin inner edge to a thick edge adjacent the front nose of a wakeboard, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,051. This pad also discloses a longitudinally tapering offset arch support with concavities for the ball and heel areas of a foot. Problems with this design is that it is foot specific. Therefore, usefulness is limited. Additionally, the gradual tapering presents too much of a thickened area that unnaturally shifts a user""s center of balance. This construction hinders, rather than helps, board control. Also, the gradual taper does not provide a positive abutment for preventing a user""s foot from slipping off the edge of the pad.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,558, a foot saddle is disclosed that provides a strong abutment for a user""s foot when making rapid turns. The saddle resolves the problem of a foot slipping off the back end of a board. However, it provides no other means for controlling foot slippage because it has no underlying traction pad nor is there any mention of a stabilizing arch support.
The present invention overcomes numerous deficiencies of the prior art by providing a foot pad having at least one fluid-filled compressible member for an arch support. The compressible member comprises a sealed enclosure that permits fluid movement within the enclosure interior. Fluid movement occurs when a user imparts downward pressure to the enclosure by placement of a foot onto the enclosure. This action causes the enclosure wall to move and conform to the varying contours of a user""s foot. A contoured connection to the board is thereby achieved which significantly stabilizes foot position. Such stabilization, in turn, greatly enhances control of the board through every type of maneuver or ambient condition.
The pad may comprise an overall single piece unit or it may be segmented to permit variations in size and shape. The pad may include a foot abutment structure which may also incorporate one or more fluid-filled compressible members.